Chapter One 

On A Cold Wet Night

 

William Foster was sat in the large lively bar of his headquarters quietly drinking, while his men celebrated some sort of event around him.

 

His men managed to think up so many different reasons to celebrate, he had lost track of the happy occasion.

 

The men in the bar deeply respected and admired their Boss, many outsiders felt uncomfortable getting close to the imposing man. From his strong muscular body to his dark brooding eyes, most considered William unapproachable.

 

The door to the bar opened and the howling wind blew the cold rain into the bar, followed by the stumbling figure of what, at first glance, appeared to be a drowned ghost.

 

The room of rowdy men went quiet as they noticed the small man. His face was ghastly white, rain water poured off of his grey suit, a leather briefcase hung limply in his hand, his glazed eyes never left the floor.

 

Big Jim walked drunkenly over to the drenched man and said, “I think you have the wrong bar, try the one down the street if you want to drown your sorrows.”

 

The short man didn’t react.

 

William’s large hand landed firmly on Big Jim’s shoulder and to the little man he said kindly, “your an accountant aren’t you?”

 

The whole room tensed as the rowdy thugs drew in a collective breath. Accountants could be the most dangerous in the world of crime, they knew too much.

 

The little accountant nodded numbly, his down cast eyes not raising.

 

Stepping forwards to the small accountant William’s towering body sent him into shadow, before he could say more the man’s resolve broke, “It’s all my fault,” he sobbed, “he killed them all because of my report, why would they steal from Boss? Boss, oh Boss! When did it become like this? Was it always like this?” His face cracked along with his mind, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, mixing with the rain water.

 

To the surprise of his men, William gently stroked the accountants wet blond hair.

 

The young man’s green eyes stared up at William’s rough features and he threw himself into William’s solid body wrapping his arm’s round the tall man’s waist.

 

“How dare you dirty our Boss?!”

 

“Get off our Boss you brat!”

 

With a raise of his free hand William silenced his men and hugged the small accountant gently back.

 

“Who is your boss? I’ll let him know you are here.”

 

The accountant was instantly frantic in William’s arms, “No! You can’t he’ll kill you, no! I shouldn’t of come here, I should of just jumped.”

 

Unable to free himself from the bigger man’s grip, the accountant slumped dejectedly into the strong arms around him, wailing his anguish.

 

The sound pulled at the hearts of the men present. They had all ended up at their Boss’s bar from different gangs, because they couldn’t deal with the terrible deeds they had committed.

 

Lifting the young man up by the waist, so he had no choice but look into his rugged face, William said sternly, “you came to the right place, promise me you won’t jump.”

 

The young man nodded numbly again, his tears slowing.

 

“Now tell me who your Boss is, so he doesn’t think you’ve run to the police.”

 

Horror flashed around the young man’s distorted features. “I would never do that to Boss Leoni. What have I done? I should go back. No I can’t go back.” The man shook in William’s arms, his tears flowing again, he buried his face in the broad shoulder in front of him, hanging onto William’s neck for dear life.

 

Walking through the bar with the little man held comfortingly in his arms, his voice soft William said, “you can stay here tonight and decide what you want to do in the morning when you have rested.”

 

William’s second in command a tall slender man with dark quick eyes and pitch black hair, picked up the soaked briefcase and followed William into the waiting elevator at the back of the bar.

 

 

Turning a key in the lock, Luke pushed the button for the top floor.

When the doors closed, William’s facade of the strong stoic Boss collapsed, as he said slightly franticly to Luke, “how do you heat some one up who has hypothermia? Boss Leoni might just kill us all if he dies.”

“He doesn’t have hypothermia.” Said Luke flatly.

The accountant’s grey suit jacket was flung on to Luke’s shoulder, there wasn’t a trace of body heat in the wet clothing.

Luke’s eyes bulged, “Body heat is a good start and a lukewarm bath, bringing his temperature up slowly. How long was this kid in the rain?!”

The door to the elevator opened into the large pent house apartment that the two friends shared. William dashed along the corridor into the large living room. Careful not to slide on the polished wooden floors he went to the left to his room and grabbed open the door, laying the sleeping accountant on his bed.

Luke ran through to the left again into William’s bathroom, quickly turning on the taps to run a cool bath and came rushing back to the bed room.

Ripping open his own shirt sending the buttons flying, William carefully undid the accountants tie and shirt taking the cold wet clothes off of him, then held the freezing man against his deeply scarred brown body.

Relief flooded both men’s minds as the little accountant mumbled in his sleep.

Sitting on the end of his bed, William turned the smaller man round and sat him in his lap holding his cold back to his quickly cooling chest and undid his belt.

Luke took off the drenched black shoes and slid the man’s trousers down, the accountant came briefly round and incoherently murmured at the pair before falling back unconscious.

“We need to get him in the bath and warm him up, my body heat is making little difference he is too cold.” Said William, panic rising in his voice.

Pulling his jumper over his head, exposing his white slender toned chest Luke said, “pass him to me I’ll warm him a little while you check the bath.”

Looking at Luke’s out stretched arms with deep scars round the wrists, some part of William didn’t want to let go of the tiny man who had placed his trust in him. But with his common sense prevailing, William passed him to his friend and went to turn off the taps.

Luke shivered as his body temperature plummeted, the kid was freezing.

“The bath is ready.”

In the bathroom, William grabbed the man’s icy thin legs and they gently lowered him into the bath still in his underwear.

The accountant’s eyes flew open as his body touched the water and he flailed around, not understanding what was going on, drenching the two men trying to help him and the entire bathroom.

William said as calmly as he could while getting a face full of warm water, “we are trying to warm you up, stop struggling, you are dangerously cold.”

He was rewarded with a knee to the shoulder.

In a stern voice Luke said, “If you don’t behave your self and have your bath sensibly you won’t get any pudding.”

The accountant’s body slackened and he looked up at Luke pleading in his eyes, “ah Mum please, I’ll be good, let me have ice cream.”

William’s shoulders shook with supressed laughter, ‘Mum’!

If looks could kill as quickly as Luke’s hands, William would be six feet under.

Making his voice light, Luke said to the man now sitting in the bath looking up at him with shining clouded eyes. “there’s a good boy, now sit still while we get you up to a normal temperature.”

“Yes Mum. Then can I have chocolate ice cream please?”

Making his rough voice as gentle as he could William asked, “how about hot chocolate to help keep you warm.”

The little accountant looked at the intimidating man by his feet and said sweetly, “could I have marshmallows in it please? I’ll be very good my love.”

Both men’s mouths dropped, who did the accountant think William was?

Feeling a little wrong for playing along with the young man’s delusion, but needing to keep him calm, William replied, “of course you can have marshmallows.”

The man’s brows knitted together, “you didn’t call me ‘my love’, did I do some thing wrong?”

Trying to not laugh out loud, Luke waved his hands encouragingly at William.

The strong man, who people would cross the road to avoid because of his scary face, blushed, his heart beating a little harder than normal, he said gently, “you did nothing wrong, you have been very good today my love.”

The little accountant beamed at William, his tear stained face transforming into that of a soggy cherub.

His shoulders shaking Luke had to run out into the living room, William could still hear him burst into laughter two rooms over.

William stood to follow but felt a small hand hold his trouser leg, “please stay with me my love.”

Seeing the innocent man, who was completely at ease with him, William couldn’t help but want to please him.

“Ok my love, I’ll stay. Do you want a bit more warm water?”

At the accountant’s nod, he turned the hot tap on and warmed him up more.

A moment later the little man had fallen back to sleep.

As a man of his word, William resisted the urge to go punch Luke for laughing at him and stayed with the accountant.

Looking at the young man, William couldn’t help but think they were polar opposites. The accountant was of a small slim frame to his big muscular build, blond hair were as he had dark brown hair, pale white skin verses light brown skin, delicate features as opposed to rugged features.

But the biggest difference of all was the accountant had a look of innocence, were as William’s violent past had left traces across his body, including two scars on his face, one on his left cheek, the other above his left eye brow.

William really felt they were from different worlds.